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Well, I finally completed the Insanity challenge. It took me 11 weeks as opposed to 9. I took a 1.5 week hiatus due to unforeseen circumstances. So, I redid week 8 in its entirety and completed week 9.

This is has been a crazy journey. I am so thankful that I completed it, even if it took longer than expected. I love the results I got. During the Insanity challenge, I learned a lot about myself. I learned that when I set my mind to doing something I will accomplish it no matter the obstacles. I also realized that my losing weight, was something done solely for me. A lot of people told me that I am fine the way that I am, and that at the midpoint, I didn’t need to lose any more weight. Well, I can’t look at myself through the eyes of others. I can only view myself through my eyes and that means that I have to be satisfied with me. While I appreciate all the compliments and kind words shared with me, I’ve come realize that a person should lose weight because he/she wants to. Not because of the attention you may receive or because society says that your overweight. Do it for you. Make yourself happy.

I’ve also noticed that I am not the only one who has taken a weight loss journey in the past year, a lot of my friends are also on their own journeys. I think that is a beautiful thing, and I hope they all reach their goals. I am definitely here for motivation, if it’s needed. I received a ton of motivation from all directions, and it definitely helped me push through and accomplish my goal. However, I have to mostly thank God for providing me with determination and motivation because there were days that I wanted to quit. With prayer, He always pushed me through, and I am thankful!

I’ve decided to cancel my Weight Watchers subscription. It does work, but it has become instilled in me to eat better, and commit to daily exercise. I was really worried about what I would do at the conclusion of the weight watchers program, but having done this for so long, I know that I’ll be subconsciously telling myself to eat healthy and not to indulge.

Something else that I’ve realized is that losing weight is a process. It took time for me to gain weight, so of course it would take time to lose it. I think the biggest mistake people make is thinking that the weight is just going to fall off. It isn’t. It takes time, be patient. If you don’t take anything from my journey, please take this… The weight will come off in due time, especially if you are working hard and eating right. It may not fall off as quickly as you like, but it will eventually. Trust me.

Let me start off by saying this restaurant is gorgeous. The atmosphere is amazing! There are two floors for dining. The first floor was a bit more crowded, and set up more like your typical restaurant. The second floor, where we dined, was arranged like a lounge. There was a very relaxing and laid back ambience that I truly enjoyed, especially after walking all day. There were huge windows they let open and allowed for the cool breeze to come through. It was great!

I will say this though, the menu was lacking. They did not offer a lot of items, at least not to my liking. Thankfully, I was able to locate something to eat. I ordered a quesadilla with a small side of guacamole. The quesadilla was pretty good, but the guacamole stole the spotlight. I absolutely love avocados and I love guacamole. I’m not easily moved by a lot of guacamole, but this was definitely noteworthy. It was fresh and wonderfully prepared.

Our service was pretty good. Our glasses stayed full, our complimentary chips and salsa were brought out quickly, and all of our questions were answered throughly and truthfully. He also provided us with recommendations when asked.

I would recommend this restaurant. The food was good, but if you’re looking for a wide variety of Mexican food to try, this place probably won’t suit your needs. It’s not a typical Mexican restaurant. It’s more “modern” as it states under the restaurant name.

9/19: Max Interval Sports Training: I love this workout! I definitely pushed myself through. This is the only workout that seems to go by quickly! I also made a mistake, this workout was supposed to be done tomorrow. I’ll just have to swap it out.

9/20: Max Interval Circuit: Knowing that this my last time doing this workout, I tried my best to push through and get it done. I wanted to accomplish as much and feel as I did before I took the time off, but was unsuccessful. However, I still got a good workout.

Breakfast: Egg Whites & Turkey Sausage

Lunch: Sliced Chicken Deli Sandwich & Cocoa Roasted Almonds

Dinner: Turkey Lasagna

Snacks: Grapes

Beverages: Water, Tea & Coffee

9/20: Max Interval Plyo: I killed this workout. As I’ve mentioned before, I like this way better than Max Interval Circuit, so that in itself was motivation to do the best I could. During this workout, I felt like I had not taken any time off. It’s crazy what a day’s difference can do. I’m definitely looking forward to my last Insanity workout tomorrow!

Breakfast: Egg Whites & Turkey Sausage

Lunch: Sliced Chicken Deli Sandwich & Salad

Dinner: Turkey Lasagna

Snacks: Grapes & Apple Crisp Granola

Dessert: Mini Oreos

Beverages: Water, Tea & Coffee

**Went over allotted amount of points. I made the mistake of thinking I had more points than I actually did. 🙂

9/20: Max Interval Conditioning/Insane Abs: As you all are aware, this was my last workout. So, you know I had to show out even if I was the only one in the room. I pushed through, and made sure I went out strong. I did. I feel great, and accomplished.

The atmosphere and set up of this restaurant was the best part of my entire dining experience. It is set up like Ruby Tuesdays. Like Ruby Tuesdays, it has a bar, a lot of dark wood, and pictures on the wall. I wouldn’t suggest going here for a romantic date, but if you must try it, go for a lunch outing or to catch the game. There was very casual, laid back atmosphere, which is something I enjoy when dining out with friends.

Upon sitting down, we were greeted by our server in a timely fashion. She didn’t seem to be very interested in serving us though. I observed how she interacted with her other tables, and she treated them a lot better. She was cheerful, and helpful. She checked on them regularly, and made sure their glasses were filled. When it came to our table, she never checked on us nor did she keep our glasses filled. She was quite dry and totally not energetic. That really bothered me, especially after observing how she interacted with her other tables. Then to top it off, she left and someone else picked up our table. It took him forever to come to our table at first, but at least he was a bit more energetic and helpful.

I ordered the chicken sandwich. It was served on Cuban bread, and came with the regular garnishes, avocado and fries. I like Cuban bread, so I thought this sandwich was going to be really good. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what I hoped for. The chicken was tasteless. Not even my avocado could save this sandwich. I don’t think they added any type of season to it nor did they marinate it. I had to order honey mustard to give it some type of flavor. The fries were good, but it’s hard to mess that up. Overall the food was mediocre.

While visiting Chicago, I just knew that we wouldn’t eat anywhere bad, but this place definitely ruined that idea. To make matters worse, it was the first place we ate while in Chicago. Thankfully, none of the other restaurants we visited disappointed. I’ve mentioned before that I will always try a restaurant again, but I don’t really see myself trying this place again when I go back to visit. Needless to say, I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant. There are so many other great restaurants in Chicago to eat at, and this just isn’t one of them.